Download - DISPATCH ONTARIO - Vol. 2, Autumn Edition
D.O.D I S P A T C H O N T A R I O
N A T H A N I E L H É B E R T & L A N A W I N T E R
V O L . 2 , O C T O B E R 2 0 1 1
This book belongs to
D I S P A T C H O N T A R I O
D I S P AT C HO N T A R I O
by
N A T H A N I E L H É B E R T
and
L A N A W I N T E R
V O L . 2 , O C T O B E R 2 0 1 1
sparrowlingP R E S S
Published by
Sparrowling Press
43 Indian Road Crescent
Toronto, Ontario
Created in the Junction, Product of Canada
Copyright © 2011 by Sparrowling Press
The Visitor
Pine Cone Snacks
Ami.nals: Alphonse Pesant
The Junction Fae
Ami.nals: Castor Pucke
A Friendly Reminder No.1
Halloween in High Park
A Puzzling Bestiary
Dance of the Fire Fae
Robin’s Important Message
Ami.nals: Magaret Smith
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16
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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
The Autumn Edition
Mazes & Mysteries
Sweet Crystal Crunchings
Ami.nals: Edmund Cumberbund
A Friendly Reminder No.2
The Three Sisters
Editor’s Warning
The Wendigo
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50
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54
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61
68
…TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
Special thanks to Ariadny Fragos, a fae dancer and considerate
contributor to this season’s Dispatch Ontario.
D E D I C A T E D T O A L L K I D S
Y O U N G & O L D
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THE V IS I TORA guest “drops in” for a visit.
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ROBIN THE SPARROW was getting ready for bed
in his room one evening when an unexpected visitor
dropped in. Through the crack in the fireplace grate, a
small furry brown head appeared, followed by a long,
leathery wing.
“Erm, excuse me…” the fuzzy head said, “I seem to
have taken a wrong turn somewhere: this wouldn’t
happen to be High Park, would it?”
Robin tilted his head and took a long look at his
visitor. The rest of the fellow’s furry body was easing
through the crack, followed by another wing. Through
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his window Robin often saw other birds as they flew
around the neighbourhood, but this creature was unlike
any bird he’d ever seen before.
“High Park is a bit further down the street actually,”
the little sparrow said. “This is the house I share with
my human family, and I live on top of the bookcase here.”
Robin stared at his guest for a little while longer and
then asked, “Say, just what kind of bird are you?”
The furry creature blinked a couple of times and
promptly explained to the sparrow that he wasn’t a
bird at all: he was a bat.
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THE V IS I TOR
ROBIN D OWN Y WINGS
FE ATHERBOT TOM
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BASIL BROWNC OAT
I I I
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THE V IS I TOR
“What’s a bat?” Robin asked. “Also, how shall I
address you? As ‘Sir Bat’? Or is there another name
that you’d prefer I call you by?”
The little brown bat smiled and formally introduced
himself. “My name is Basil Browncoat the Third”, he
said, “but please, call me Basil.”
The sparrow chirped happily and replied, “My full
name is Robin Downywings Featherbottom, but every-
one just calls me Robin.”
“A pleasure to meet you Robin,” said Basil. “Did you say
that you live here with some humans?”
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Robin nodded.
“How curious,” the little bat mused. “I can’t say that
I’ve ever spent any time with people before… they’re
quite large, aren’t they?”
“Oh yes,” said Robin. “They’re tall and don’t have any
feathers and they can’t fly like I can, but the people I
live with are very gentle and kind, and I love them very
much. They sing and play games with me and always
make sure that I have plenty of seeds and fruit to eat.”
Basil the bat looked thoughtful for a moment. “That
is very nice of them indeed, though the food I eat is
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THE V IS I TOR
very different from the food you like. You see, I only
eat insects like mosquitos, moths, and grasshoppers.
You wouldn’t happen to have any tasty mosquitos,
would you?”
Robin shook his head no. “I’m afraid not,” he said.
“Just millet, some mixed seeds and some raspberries in
here right now. Are you sure you wouldn’t like any?”
Basil’s nose crinkled up and his stomach made a
strange gurgling noise. “I’m sure all of those things
are very delicious to you, but I’m going to have to go
and find my own supper soon. Would you please be so
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kind as to show me out? The night is young and my
belly needs filling.”
Since Robin is far too small to turn doorknobs by
himself, he called Nathaniel and Lana over to help the
little bat back outside. As Basil flew off into the night
sky, he waved goodbye to Robin and promised to pop
by the window every so often to say hello.
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As the weather gets colder, many animals (especially
birds), have a difficult time finding food to eat since
trees and bushes are no longer producing fruit, and
most of the seeds that have fallen have already nestled
into the earth.
Robin, our sparrow-friend, hopes that people will
help his little cousins by putting food out for them
during the colder months. A fun way of doing this is to
create pine cone snacks that can be hung on trees like
decorations.
P I N E C O N E S N A C K S
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First, you’ll need to tie one end of the string to the top
(skinny) part of the pine cone.
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What you need:
a large pine cone
a long piece of string
nut butter (peanut, almond, tahini,
or any other nut butter is great)
wild bird seed
a plate
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P INE CONE SN ACKS
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With a popsicle stick or butter knife, spread the nut
butter into all of the cracks in the pine cone until it’s
covered really well. Be generous! The goopier you can
make it, the better.
Next, pour some bird seed onto your plate, and roll
the pine cone around in it until it’s coated with seeds
all over.
Put the pine cone (still on its plate) in your refrig-
erator for an hour or two, then take it out and tie it to
a tree branch. You’ll soon see all kinds of little birds
coming to feed from it!
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Alphonse Pesant, weasel extraordinaire, filled the
tavern hearths with long-winded squeakings that
recounted his adventures as a Coureur de Bois. Little
did his audience know that his snow phobia ensured
his quick escape to sunny Daytona Beach at the first
sign of winter.
A M I . N A L S : Alphonse Pesant
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O, the autumn leaves are falling
In the garden, past the wall
And I wonder if the Junction Fae
Have noticed it all?
For beneath the streets around here
Though a maze of tunnels deep
They are working diligently
While the wind-swept city sleeps.
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Sorting through the random treasures
That the bigger folks discard
They find shiny bits and baubles
Or a magic playing card.
They will take these to their grottos
Through the tunnels far below
To be mixed with secret potions
That help make the mushrooms grow.
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THE J U NCT ION FA E
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“One guy’s trash, another’s treasure!”
Is a phrase we learned from them
For amid their midnight searchings
They discover things, and then
What another thought was useless
And has tossed into the trash
Has been found by Schmoo the Junction Fae
And added to the stash.
THE J U NCT ION FA E
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With the help of Frog and Badger
(and occasionally Raccoon)
All the Junction Fae have sifted
through the piles and very soon
They will blend the rare elixir
That's a secret to their kind
And can grow the silver mushrooms
That help keep the worlds entwined.
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THE J U NCT ION FA E
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Castor Pucke trundled out of the house as he always
had, waving goodbye to his wife, Beatrice, and took off
to spend a day felling trees. Today, while standing over
a fallen log and shouting “Timber!”, he wondered how
much longer he could hide the secret that he’d lost his
teeth from his wife.
A M I . N A L S : Castor Pucke
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YOU MUST BRUSH YOUR
TEETH AT LEAST TWICE A DAY!*
(*Pretty please with sugar-free sprinkles on top.)
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A FR IENDLY REMINDER NO. 1
2 9
Halloween is on its way, and all the animals of High
Park have been working hard to make costumes for
trick-or-treating. You can help by adding a bit of colour
to their costumes!
H A L L OW E EN in H IGH PA R K
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H A LLOWEEN IN H IG H PA RK
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S PA R R O W - M O O S E
R E D F O X - R A B B I T
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H A LLOWEEN IN H IG H PA RK
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C H I P M U N K - C H I C K E N
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2 . With his bright green head and flappy limbs, you’ll know him whether he flies or swims.4 . Weaving lovely webs of silk and dew, she catches flies, moths, and hornets too!6 . He sails through the night on leathery wings, and feeds on mice and other small things.8 . Honking ‘til she’s nicely fed, she’ll bully kids for cakes and bread.9. He has white spots when he’s still small, but they’ll turn brown once the leaves all fall.1 1 . Soaring swiftly through the skies, he sees the world through sharp, clear eyes.13 . Splashing merrily in the sun, this mammal lives for play and fun.14 . Smart and tricksy (slinky too!), he might just be able to out-smart you!
Across Down
1 . Building a tree-house must be a breeze when you can use your teeth for felling trees.3 . These little bandits steal your things: even their tails are wreathed in rings.4 . This slithery girl can’t wear a frock… but maybe she could don a sock?5 . This red-chested little friend’s appearance heralds winter’s end.7. In a warm, wet den of leaves and mud, he’ll sleep soundly ‘til spring’s first bud. 9. A clever lass of rust and flame, her pups will turn out just the same.10 . He darts around in burrows deep, and prowls the woods while most still sleep12 . When you’re this big, there’s no place to hide: his antlers can grow up to 4 feet wide!
A P U Z Z L I N G B E S T I A R Y †
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From the fire-swept plains she’s soaringDancing jigs that crackle, roaringLightning tumbles, thunder rumblesFire-fae’s dancing shoes are on.
Clear the mess of fallen leavings!Birch detritus, willow’s weavingsOak tree’s heart’s in need of sparksThat only Fire-fae can bring on.
Leaping, dancing, kicking, jumpingFlames lick higher, hearts are thumpingOak trees glisten, creatures listenAs the Fire-fae dances on.
Cleared of soot and dross and weedsThe ash provides what oak trees needTo grow up high and kiss the skyAnd watch the Fire-fae sing her song.
D A N C E of the F I R E - FA E
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AND NOW AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM
ROBIN THESPARROW.
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“I have a sock!”
ROBIN ’ S IMPORTA N T MESSAG E
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Margaret was certain that this plan of hers was the
super-bestest-one-ever, and she would finally earn the
blue ribbon for wiliness from her ladies’ group.
A M I . N A L S : Margaret Smith
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The FANCIFUL & FANTASTIC
MAZES & MYSTERIES of the
JUNCTION’S SUBTERRANEAN
LABORATORIES, SILVER MUSHROOM
FARMS, & AQUATIC GROTTOS
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IE one end of the string to the weight you’ve chosen,
and hang it in the empty jar until the weight hovers an inch or so above the bottom. Tie the rest of the string to your pencil, which will lie across the top of the jar and help keep the string in place.
Wet the thread thoroughly and then roll it in sugar until it’s well-coated: this will give the sugar crystals something to cling to when they start to form. Set this aside on a clean plate or waxed paper.
Get an adult to help you heat the water in your sauce-pan until it begins to boil, and then add the sugar one cup at
a time, stirring it well until it all dissolves. Remove from the stove top.
Let the sugar syrup cool for 10-15 minutes, and then pour it into the prepared jar. Lower your weighted string into the jar, making sure that the weight is a good inch or so from the bottom.
Place the jar in a cool, dark place and cover it with plastic wrap. Within a few hours, you’ll begin to see the crystals form. Give it a few days for the candy to grow a bit bigger, then remove it from the water, let it dry on some waxed paper for an hour or two, and enjoy!
S W E E T C R Y S TA L C R U N C H I N G S
Make your own rock candy!
- 4 cups of granulated sugar- 2 cups of water- a small saucepan- a wooden spoon- a small, clean glass jar- a measuring cup
- cotton string- waxed paper or small plate- a weight for the string (like a
big paper clip)- a pencil (to hang the string in jar)
T
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Another week at school had passed, and Edmund’s
gentle patience was once again rewarded—It was
Fish-stick Friday at the cafeteria, and for a brief
happy moment, all was right with the world.
A M I . N A L S : Edmund Cumberbund
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MAKE SURE TOEAT ALL YOURVEGETABLES
OR ELSE!*(*We’ll have to politely ask you again.)
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A FR IENDLY REMINDER NO. 2
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Many years ago, the area now called Toronto was
inhabited by tribes of the Iroquois First Nations
people. The Iroquois people were excellent farmers,
and the most important foods that they grew were
plants known as The Three Sisters.
Corn, beans and squash grow together in perfect
harmony, and are all beneficial to each other, much
like sisters who are also very close friends.
T H E T H R E E S I S T E R S
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Corn grows into tall stalks which the bean-vines climb
as poles. As they wind their way up the corn stalks
and grow their pods, beans release vitamins into
the earth which help to nourish the corn and squash
plants. Squash’s leaves block out sunlight around
the roots of the corn so that the soil stays moist and
healthy, and ensures that no weeds grow there.
When these three vegetables are cooked together,
they also work in harmony, providing a whole balance
with all of their vitamins, minerals and proteins
combined! These were the staple foods that kept the
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First Nations people nourished through the autumn
and winter, and are still eaten by people all over the
world today.
The drawing of these vegetables would look wonder-
ful if you coloured them in beautiful autumn hues.
THE THREE S ISTERS
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EDITOR’S WARNING:THE NEXT PAGE
CONTAINS A GRAPHICDEPICTION OF AMONSTER THAT
ISN’T SUITABLE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN!
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NO, REALLY, YOU WOULD BE BETTER
OFF JUST CLOSING THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW AND GOING OUTSIDE!
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PERHAPS YOU’D LIKE TO CHECK OUT PAGE 26 INSTEAD: THERE’S A LOVELY PICTURE OF
A TOOTHLESS BEAVER.
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YOU’RE STILL HERE? I GUESS THERE’S
NO STOPPING YOU. DON’T SAY WE DIDN'T
WARN YOU!
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“Oh hey, ya, so, I found Robin’s other
sock… umm, let him know if he’s
looking for it, okay? Thanks!”
THE WENDIGO
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H I G H PA R K W E N D I G O
T H E E N D
hearth
Coureur de Bois
phobia
diligently
discard
grotto
elixir
trundle
bestiary
bandits
frock
don
prowl
detritus
dross
wiliness
fanciful
subterranean
aquatic
granulated
depiction
D I S PAT C H O N TA R I O V O L 2 .
Vocabulary
†Across: 2–mallard, 4–spider, 6–bat, 8–goose, 9–fawn, 11–falcon, 13–otter, 14–weasel Down: 1–beaver, 3–raccoon, 4–snake, 5–robin, 7–toad, 9–fox, 10–badger, 12–moose
A B O U T T H E A U T H O R S
Lana Winter
As a writer, Lana enjoys taking words of all shapes
and sizes and arranging them in different ways to
create stories and poems. She also writes copy, blogs
and articles for work, but those aren’t nearly as much
fun to create.
When she isn’t working as a wordsmith, she can
usually be found drawing, sculpting, knitting, or
making a right mess with glue and assorted findings.
Nathaniel Hébert
Nathaniel appears to be preoccupied with something
called “negative space” and concerns himself on a
daily basis with types of faces. He can be found in
his Arts and Crafts grotto with sparrow on shoulder,
hunched over glowing screens, gesturing nebulously
with his mouse device. He is also known to have his
Americanos pulled double and often.
Named after the little sparrow that lives in our
writing-desk, Sparrowling Press was founded in our
Arts and Crafts cottage near High Park, Toronto.
Sparrowling Press will be putting forth seasonal
editions and companion activity books, as well as
hand-crafted keepsakes, miniatures, screen printed
posters, and other eclectic ephemera.
Come by to visit often! We’ll keep a kettle on for tea,
and there will always be something new to explore.
Visit our workshop at www.sparrowlingpress.com
sparrowlingP R E S S